CN113366679B - Conveyor unit for conveying gaseous medium of anode circuit of fuel cell system and fuel cell system - Google Patents
Conveyor unit for conveying gaseous medium of anode circuit of fuel cell system and fuel cell system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CN113366679B CN113366679B CN202080011767.8A CN202080011767A CN113366679B CN 113366679 B CN113366679 B CN 113366679B CN 202080011767 A CN202080011767 A CN 202080011767A CN 113366679 B CN113366679 B CN 113366679B
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- Prior art keywords
- fuel cell
- cell system
- recirculation blower
- conveyor unit
- separator
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- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 94
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 125000004435 hydrogen atom Chemical class [H]* 0.000 claims abstract 2
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 claims description 39
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 abstract description 12
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 abstract description 12
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 10
- 239000012528 membrane Substances 0.000 description 8
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 7
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 6
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 6
- 230000003134 recirculating effect Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000033001 locomotion Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005265 energy consumption Methods 0.000 description 2
- 150000002431 hydrogen Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000004064 recycling Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 2
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 230000000996 additive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000006227 byproduct Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004364 calculation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005119 centrifugation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011161 development Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005538 encapsulation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011156 evaluation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007710 freezing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008014 freezing Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010926 purge Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000006798 recombination Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005215 recombination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007493 shaping process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000013517 stratification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
- H01M8/04089—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants
- H01M8/04097—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with recycling of the reactants
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
- B01D53/24—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by centrifugal force
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04D23/00—Other rotary non-positive-displacement pumps
- F04D23/008—Regenerative pumps
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04D29/00—Details, component parts, or accessories
- F04D29/70—Suction grids; Strainers; Dust separation; Cleaning
- F04D29/701—Suction grids; Strainers; Dust separation; Cleaning especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
- F04D29/706—Humidity separation
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04F—PUMPING OF FLUID BY DIRECT CONTACT OF ANOTHER FLUID OR BY USING INERTIA OF FLUID TO BE PUMPED; SIPHONS
- F04F5/00—Jet pumps, i.e. devices in which flow is induced by pressure drop caused by velocity of another fluid flow
- F04F5/14—Jet pumps, i.e. devices in which flow is induced by pressure drop caused by velocity of another fluid flow the inducing fluid being elastic fluid
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04F—PUMPING OF FLUID BY DIRECT CONTACT OF ANOTHER FLUID OR BY USING INERTIA OF FLUID TO BE PUMPED; SIPHONS
- F04F5/00—Jet pumps, i.e. devices in which flow is induced by pressure drop caused by velocity of another fluid flow
- F04F5/14—Jet pumps, i.e. devices in which flow is induced by pressure drop caused by velocity of another fluid flow the inducing fluid being elastic fluid
- F04F5/24—Jet pumps, i.e. devices in which flow is induced by pressure drop caused by velocity of another fluid flow the inducing fluid being elastic fluid displacing liquids, e.g. containing solids, or liquids and elastic fluids
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
- H01M8/04089—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants
- H01M8/04111—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants using a compressor turbine assembly
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
- H01M8/04089—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants
- H01M8/04119—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying
- H01M8/04156—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying with product water removal
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04082—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration
- H01M8/04089—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants
- H01M8/04119—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying
- H01M8/04156—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying with product water removal
- H01M8/04164—Arrangements for control of reactant parameters, e.g. pressure or concentration of gaseous reactants with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying with product water removal by condensers, gas-liquid separators or filters
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/04313—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function
- H01M8/0438—Pressure; Ambient pressure; Flow
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/04694—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems characterised by variables to be controlled
- H01M8/04746—Pressure; Flow
- H01M8/04753—Pressure; Flow of fuel cell reactants
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/04694—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems characterised by variables to be controlled
- H01M8/04746—Pressure; Flow
- H01M8/04761—Pressure; Flow of fuel cell exhausts
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/06—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues
- H01M8/0662—Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D2256/00—Main component in the product gas stream after treatment
- B01D2256/16—Hydrogen
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D2257/00—Components to be removed
- B01D2257/10—Single element gases other than halogens
- B01D2257/102—Nitrogen
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D2257/00—Components to be removed
- B01D2257/80—Water
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M2250/00—Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system
- H01M2250/20—Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
- Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Electrochemistry (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
- Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
- Fuel Cell (AREA)
- Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a conveyor unit (3) for an anode circuit (9) of a fuel cell system (1) for conveying a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, from an anode region (38) of a fuel cell (2), wherein the conveyor unit (3) comprises at least one jet pump (4), wherein the conveyor unit (3) is at least indirectly fluidly connected to the outlet of the anode region (38) by means of at least one connecting line (23, 25), and wherein the conveyor unit (3) is fluidly connected to the outlet of the anode region (38) by means of a further connecting line (27). According to the invention, the conveyor assembly (3) has, in addition to the component injection pump (4), a recirculation blower (8) and a metering valve (6) as a further component, wherein the flow profile of the component (4, 6, 8) for the gaseous medium and/or the component (4, 6, 8) are arranged at least almost completely in a common housing (7).
Description
Technical Field
The invention relates to a conveyor unit for an anode circuit of a fuel cell system for conveying a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, which conveyor unit is provided in particular for use in a vehicle having a fuel cell drive. The invention further relates to a fuel cell system having such a conveyor assembly.
Background
In the field of vehicles, gaseous fuels, in addition to liquid fuels, are increasingly playing a role in the future. In particular in vehicles with fuel cell drives, the hydrogen flow must be controlled. The gas flow is no longer controlled discontinuously as in the case of injection of liquid fuel, but rather the gas is removed from the at least one high-pressure tank and is guided to the conveyor unit via the inflow line of the medium-pressure line system. The conveyor unit directs the gas to the fuel cell through a connection line of the low pressure line system.
A conveyor unit for a fuel cell system is known from DE 10 2011 105 710 B4, which is used for conveying and/or recycling gaseous media, and which has a recirculation blower and a jet pump driven by a drive jet of gaseous media under pressure, wherein the anode output of the fuel cell is fluidically connected to the input of the conveyor unit, and wherein the output of the conveyor unit is fluidically connected to the anode input of the fuel cell.
A fuel cell system for the delivery and/or recirculation of gaseous media is known from DE 10 2014 105 995 A1, in which gaseous media under pressure is supplied to a jet pump by means of a metering valve.
The conveyor assembly known from DE 10 2011 105 710 B4 and the fuel cell system known from DE 10 2014 105 995 A1 may each have certain disadvantages. In this case, the components of the conveyor assembly, in particular the recirculation blower and/or the jet pump and/or the metering valve, are connected to one another and/or to the fuel cell at least in part by means of a fluid connection in the form of a line and, if appropriate, by means of an additional distributor plate with built-in channels. The components are at least partially present here as separate components which are connected to one another by means of pipes. In this case, on the one hand, multiple flow deflections and thus flow losses, in particular in all three dimensions of the space, occur. Thereby reducing the efficiency of the conveyor assembly. Furthermore, the connection of the components of the conveyor assembly via the lines is disadvantageous in that the lines can lead to sealing problems over the service life of the conveyor assembly, in particular in the case of strong temperature fluctuations, in particular in welded and/or welded-on lines. On the other hand, the disadvantage arising from the arrangement of the individual components as at least partially separate components is: these components generally form a large surface with respect to the structural space and/or geometric volume. In this way, rapid cooling of the component recirculation blower and/or the injection pump and/or the metering valve is facilitated, in particular in the case of long parking times of the entire vehicle, which can lead to increased ice bridge formation and thus to increased damage to the components and/or the entire fuel cell system, which in turn can lead to reduced reliability and/or service life of the conveyor unit and/or the fuel cell system. A further disadvantage is the poor cold start characteristics of the conveyor unit and/or of the fuel cell system and/or of the entire vehicle, since, in particular at temperatures below 0 ℃, heating energy and/or thermal energy must be introduced separately into the component recirculation blower and/or the jet pump and/or the metering valve, respectively, in order to eliminate possible ice bridges.
Disclosure of Invention
According to the invention, a transport unit for a fuel cell system is proposed for transporting and/or recycling gaseous media, in particular hydrogen, wherein hydrogen is referred to below as H 2. The invention further relates to a fuel cell system having such a conveyor assembly. The conveyor unit comprises at least one recirculation blower, wherein the conveyor unit is at least indirectly in fluid connection with the outlet of the anode region by means of at least one connecting line, and wherein the conveyor unit is in fluid connection with the inlet of the anode region by means of another connecting line.
According to the invention, the conveyor assembly is configured such that the conveyor assembly has, in addition to the component recirculation blower, an injection pump and a metering valve as further components, wherein the component for the throughflow profile of the gaseous medium and/or the component recirculation blower, the injection pump and the metering valve are arranged at least almost completely in a common housing. In this way the following advantages can be obtained: a direct and as short as possible flow line is established between the components of the conveyor assembly, in particular between the recirculation blower and/or the injection pump and/or the metering valve. Furthermore, the number of flow deflections and/or changes in the flow direction of the gaseous medium in the conveyor assembly can be reduced to as small an amount as possible, since the components are positioned in a common housing and thus at a small distance from one another. The inflow openings and outflow openings of the component recirculation blower and/or the jet pump and/or the metering valve are arranged relative to one another in a common housing in such a way that as little length and as little flow deflection as possible of the flow connection between the components occurs. In this case, the flow contours are located at least almost entirely in the common housing and external lines and/or external distributor plates can be omitted at least almost entirely. Thus, on the one hand, leakage due to unsealed pipe systems can be reduced, which reduces the probability of failure of the conveyor unit and/or the fuel cell system. On the other hand, frictional losses and/or flow losses in the conveyor train and/or the fuel cell system can thus be reduced, whereby the efficiency of the conveyor train and/or the fuel cell system can be improved.
Furthermore, by arranging the through-flow contours of the components and/or the components at least almost completely in a common housing, it can be ensured in an advantageous manner that the entire surface of the conveyor assembly, which in particular comprises the component recirculation blower, the jet pump and the metering valve, can be reduced in terms of installation space and/or geometry volume. Therefore, the advantages that can be achieved are: in particular, in the case of long parking times of the entire vehicle, rapid cooling of the component recirculation blower and/or the injection pump and/or the metering valve is prevented, which results in a reduction and/or avoidance of the formation of ice bridges. In this case, the effect is advantageously used that the component recirculation blower and/or the jet pump and/or the metering valve generate heat during operation, for example by means of an electric actuator and/or by means of a magnetic actuator, wherein the heat can be used to avoid cooling of all components in a common housing. Furthermore, by arranging the components in a common housing, an improved cold start capability of the conveyor assembly and/or of the fuel cell system can be achieved with a generally smaller volume of the conveyor assembly, in particular with a long parking time of the entire vehicle, since less mass has to be heated and since the existing heat of the individual components can be utilized in order to heat the common housing. In this case, the failure probability of the conveyor assembly and/or of the fuel cell system can also be reduced, wherein the service life can be increased.
An advantageous development of the conveying device is given below.
According to one advantageous embodiment, the recirculation blower has a compressor wheel with a circumferential outer limiting ring which extends rotationally symmetrically with respect to the rotational axis of the compressor wheel, and wherein the at least partially enclosed separation chamber and/or the outlet channel is located in the housing of the conveyor unit on the side of the compressor wheel facing away from the rotational axis. Furthermore, component H 2 O and/or component N 2 are separated from the gaseous medium in the recirculation blower, wherein the separation takes place in the recirculation blower, in particular by means of the centrifugal principle. In this way, the following advantages can be achieved on the one hand: at least one side channel and/or the delivery unit is at least partially enclosed with respect to an outer region in the housing, in particular with respect to the separation chamber. The efficiency of the recirculation blower and thus the efficiency of the conveyor assembly can be improved. On the other hand the following advantages can be achieved: heavy components from the compressor chamber of the recirculation blower into a separation chamber, in particular between the outer limiting ring of the compressor wheel and the housing, can be discharged and/or can be further discharged from the housing of the recirculation blower and the fuel cell system. This provides the following advantages: an increase in the efficiency of the recirculation blower and/or of the fuel cell system can be maintained over the entire service life, since the proportion and/or concentration of H 2 in the gaseous medium can be increased, while the proportion and/or concentration of heavy components, in particular H 2 O and/or N 2, in the gaseous medium can be reduced. Furthermore, the following advantages are achieved: by removing the heavy components from the region of the compressor chamber, the formation of so-called ice bridges between movable parts, in particular the compressor wheel and the housing, is prevented in the shut-down state of the fuel cell system and when the ambient temperature is low. Such an ice bridge makes the start-up of the fuel cell system, in particular the recirculation blower, difficult or completely impossible. The configuration according to the invention of the recirculation blower thus prevents damage to the rotating parts of the recirculation blower and/or the drive, in particular the electric drive, due to the formation of ice bridges. This results in higher reliability of the fuel cell system and/or the vehicle. The following advantages can be achieved by deriving the heavy fraction using centrifugation principles: the separation process is improved in such a way that components H 2 O and/or N 2 can be separated almost completely from the medium, in particular from H 2. This ensures that as high a proportion as possible of H 2 flows back to the fuel cell, so that on the one hand the efficiency and/or the power of the fuel cell can be increased. Furthermore, the following advantages can be achieved: in order to separate component H 2 O and/or N 2 from component H 2, no additional energy and/or only a small amount of energy has to be supplied, in particular from the fuel cell system and/or the upper-stage system (vehicle). Thus, it is no longer necessary to introduce energy, in particular kinetic energy, further into the medium in order to achieve optimum efficiency of the separation process by means of the centrifugal principle by means of the recirculation blower. Thereby, the efficiency of the fuel cell system can be improved and the running cost can be reduced.
According to one advantageous embodiment of the conveyor assembly, the recirculation blower and the jet pump are arranged in a common housing relative to one another in such a way that the rotational axis of the compressor wheel of the recirculation blower extends at least approximately perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the jet pump. Furthermore, the gas outlet opening of the recirculation blower opens directly into the first inlet and/or the suction region of the jet pump and forms an integrated flow channel. Furthermore, the integrated flow channels form a bend in the common housing, wherein the deflection and/or the flow guidance of the gaseous medium between the recirculation blower and the jet pump takes place only in the region of the bend. This provides the following advantages: the flow losses and/or pressure losses within the conveyor train may be reduced due to the length of the flow lines and/or the amount of flow deflection. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the flow guide in the recirculation blower and the jet pump extend in parallel planes, wherein this advantageous effect can be improved by the gaseous medium being introduced into the suction region of the jet pump through the region of the bend when flowing out of the recirculation blower (wherein the gaseous medium is acted upon with swirl energy, in particular in the recirculation blower), in such a way that the pulse transmission and/or the jet pump effect can be improved in this region and/or in the region of the mixing tube of the jet pump. In addition, the flow deflection of the gaseous medium is further reduced, whereby the flow losses in the conveyor group can be further reduced. In this case, the geometry of the integrated flow channel in the curved region is designed in such a way that friction is reduced. As a result, the efficiency of the conveyor unit can be improved and the energy consumption for operating the conveyor unit can be reduced, in particular at almost all operating points and/or pressure ratios of the fuel cell system. Furthermore, the arrangement of the component recirculation blower and the jet pump relative to one another can lead to a compact design of the conveyor assembly, so that the following advantages can be achieved: the conveyor assembly requires little installation space, in particular in the entire vehicle.
Furthermore, by means of the embodiment of the conveyor assembly according to the invention, the number of components required for assembling the conveyor assembly can be reduced, which in turn leads to a cost saving of the conveyor assembly. Furthermore, the probability of assembly errors due to components of the conveyor assembly that are incorrectly oriented relative to one another is reduced, which in turn reduces the probability of failure of the conveyor assembly in operation.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the fuel cell system, the separation of component H 2 O and/or component N 2 from the gaseous medium in the anode circuit takes place by means of a recirculation blower and/or by means of a separator. In an advantageous manner, it is thereby ensured that early and rapid separation of the heavy components H 2 O and/or N 2 can be brought about, whereby the efficiency of the fuel cell system is increased, since the heavy components only have to be transported together by the anode circuit as short as possible, which together would lead to a reduction in efficiency, since for the fraction of heavy components in the gaseous medium less H 2 can be transported and since the heavy components have a greater mass. Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment of the fuel cell system, in which the recirculation blower and the separator are used to separate and/or conduct heavy components from the anode loop, an additive effect may occur, in particular when the components are connected in series. In this way, the efficiency of the fuel cell system can be further improved.
According to one advantageous configuration of the fuel cell system, the separator is arranged in the anode circuit upstream of the conveyor unit in the flow direction V, wherein the anode region is in fluid connection with the separator by means of a first connecting line and the separator is in fluid connection with the conveyor unit by means of a second connecting line and the conveyor unit is in fluid connection with the anode region by means of a third connecting line. Furthermore, H 2 O and/or N 2 can be led from the recirculation blower into the separator in the flow direction VI via a return line. The separating chambers and/or the outlet channels, which are each located in the housing of the conveyor assembly on the side of the compressor wheel facing away from the rotational axis and are at least partially enclosed, are at least indirectly in fluid connection with the collecting container of the separator via a return line. Furthermore, the separation chamber and/or the discharge channel form an increased pressure level relative to the collecting vessel of the separator, wherein H 2 O and/or N 2 are led out of the recirculation blower into the separator in the flow direction VI. In this way, an increased pressure level and/or centrifugal force can be used, with which the gaseous medium is loaded by the rotary movement in the recirculation blower, in order to cause a better discharge of the heavy components H 2 O and/or N 2 from the separation chamber through the discharge channel and/or the return line into the collecting vessel of the separator. In this case, the pressure drop, in particular when a higher pressure prevails in the separation chamber relative to the collection vessel, is used in order to conduct the heavy fraction from the conveyor assembly into the collection vessel of the separator by means of the outlet channel and/or the return line. Furthermore, the process can be improved by the return line and/or the pressure drop between the separating chamber and the collecting vessel described above, so that H 2 in the collecting vessel is fed back into the anode circuit, in particular via the second connecting line. Thus, the following advantages can be achieved by the use and corresponding arrangement of the water separator: the efficiency of the conveyor train and/or the fuel cell system may be improved.
Furthermore, the direct connection of the conveyor assembly to the separator by means of the return line increases the water separation from the conveyor assembly, so that even when the entire vehicle is in a long standstill time and at low temperatures, in particular below 0 ℃, no ice bridge can form in the conveyor assembly and/or the fuel cell system, in particular the membrane, which could damage the conveyor assembly. Furthermore, the configuration according to the invention of the fuel cell system renders superfluous a purge valve, in particular on the conveyor unit, for discharging H 2 O and/or N 2, so that fewer pressure losses and/or H 2 losses occur from the anode circuit and fewer components are also required, so that the material costs and/or the production costs of the entire fuel cell system can be reduced.
According to one advantageous embodiment of the fuel cell system, the collecting vessel has a discharge valve, wherein the discharge valve is arranged in the collecting vessel at a low geodetic height in normal useIn this connection, all H 2 O and/or N 2 are led out of the region of the anode circuit via the outlet valve. The second connecting line is arranged in the collecting vessel at a large geodetic height. In this way, it is advantageously ensured that, by means of gravity, the heavy components of the gaseous medium, in particular H 2 O and/or N 2, which are separated from the remaining gaseous medium in particular in the collecting vessel of the separator, collect in the region of low geodetic height in the vicinity of the discharge valve. The heavy fraction can then be discharged from the separator via the discharge valve and further via the outlet and thus from the anode circuit, wherein at least little H 2 is discharged together and thus lost to the energy gain by the fuel cell system. In an advantageous manner, it is furthermore ensured that, by means of gravity, the light components of the gaseous medium, in particular H 2, which are separated from the remaining gaseous medium in the collecting vessel of the separator, are collected in the region of the great geodetic height, in particular in the vicinity of the second connecting line. The light fraction can then be led out of the collection vessel of the separator and into a second connection line of the anode circuit. Therefore, the efficiency of the fuel cell system can be improved.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the fuel cell system, the separating edge is arranged in the collecting vessel in such a way that the inflowing gaseous medium from the anode region is deflected and/or split in such a way that the light fraction H 2 is deflected in the direction of the second connecting line, while the heavy fractions H 2 O and/or N 2 are deflected in the direction of the reservoir. This has the following advantages: separation and removal of heavy and light components can be achieved in the separator, in particular in the collection vessel, wherein the efficiency of the fuel cell system can be improved. Furthermore, the following advantages can be achieved by means of the separating edges: the light fraction H 2 is guided to the high-side of the collecting vessel, while the heavy fraction H 2 O and/or N 2 is guided to the low-side region, wherein the separation process is enhanced by the pressure prevailing in the first connecting line and the flow rate of the gaseous medium flowing from the first connecting line into the collecting vessel and acting on the separating edge. Accordingly, the flow loss and/or the pressure loss in the separator are kept small, and the efficiency of the fuel cell system can be improved.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the return line has a shut-off valve, wherein the shut-off valve is located between the recirculation blower and the separator, in particular the collection vessel. The first sensor device and/or the second sensor device are connected to the control device, wherein, in particular, the first sensor device continuously senses a parameter of the separator and the second sensor device continuously senses a parameter of the recirculation blower. The control device controls the opening and closing of the outlet valve and/or the shut-off valve, in particular, on the basis of the parameters sensed by the respective sensor device. In this way the following advantages can be obtained: when a specific concentration of the heavy component in the gaseous medium is determined by means of the sensor device and/or when a specific pressure level and/or temperature level is determined and/or exceeded in different regions of the fuel cell system, the heavy component can be conducted out of the anode circuit and/or the separation chamber of the fuel cell system as always as possible by means of actuation, in particular opening and closing, of the outlet valve and/or the shut-off valve based on the data sensed by the sensor device. Furthermore, a possible pressure drop and/or flow and/or mass flow from the anode circuit, in particular the conveyor assembly and/or the recirculation blower and/or the first connection line and/or the second connection line, can be used in order to conduct heavy components out of the anode circuit as efficiently as possible and at least with little additional energy consumption and/or to cause a corresponding separation. In this way, the efficiency of the fuel cell system can be improved.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and the aspects highlighted herein. Rather, various modifications and/or combinations of the features and/or advantages described in the claims may be implemented within the scope given by the claims, which are within the purview of those skilled in the art.
Drawings
The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show:
figure 1 is a schematic view of a fuel cell system according to the invention with a conveyor train and separator,
Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a separator according to the invention,
Figure 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a conveyor set with one of the recirculation blowers, a jet pump and a metering valve in one housing,
The compression chamber of the recirculation blower of figure 4 is partially marked with II in figure 3,
The separation chamber of fig. 5 is partially marked with III in fig. 4.
Detailed Description
Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a fuel cell system according to the invention, which has a conveyor group 3 and a separator 10.
Here, fig. 1 shows that the fuel cell system 1 has a fuel cell 2, wherein the fuel cell 2 has an anode region 38 and a cathode region 40. The anode region 38 of the fuel cell 2 is connected to the anode circuit 9, wherein the anode circuit 9 has the separator 10, the conveyor assembly 3 and the tank 42. In this case, the separator 10 is arranged in the anode circuit 9 upstream of the conveyor train 3 in the flow direction V, wherein the anode region 38 is in fluid connection with the separator 10 by means of the first connecting line 23, and the separator 10 is in fluid connection with the conveyor train 3 by means of the second connecting line 25, and the conveyor train 3 is in fluid connection with the anode region 38 by means of the third connecting line 27. Furthermore, the conveyor assembly 3 has a recirculation blower 8, a jet pump 4 and a metering valve 6, wherein the metering valve 6 is located between the tank 42 and the jet pump 4. In an exemplary embodiment, the metering valve 6 is connected at least almost directly to the injection pump 4, wherein no external line is present between the two components, since the metering valve 6 is implemented integrally in the injection pump 4 or the external line is implemented as short as possible in order to avoid flow losses through the line.
The recirculation blower 8 of the conveyor group 3 conveys unused recirculation from the fuel cell 2 into the jet pump 4 via the first inlet 28. In addition, H 2 under pressure (which in particular drives the medium) is supplied to the injection pump 4 in the flow direction VII by means of the metering valve 6 and flows into the injection pump 4 via the second inlet 36. Furthermore, the separation of component H 2 O and/or component N 2 from the gaseous medium in the anode circuit 9 takes place by means of the recirculation blower 8 and/or by means of the separator 10. The recirculation blower 8 is connected to the separator 10 by means of a return line 21. In this case, H 2 O and/or N 2 can be discharged from the recirculation blower 8 into the separator 10 in the flow direction VI. Furthermore, the return line 21 has a shut-off valve 26, wherein the shut-off valve 26 is located between the recirculation blower 8 and the separator 10, in particular the collection vessel 31 of the separator 10. Furthermore, a discharge valve 44 is located at the collection vessel 31 of the separator, by means of which the heavy components H 2 O and/or N 2 separated from the gaseous medium can be led out of the anode circuit 9 and/or the fuel cell system 1.
Furthermore, fig. 1 shows that the first sensor device 22 and/or the second sensor device 24 are connected to the control device 14, wherein in particular the first sensor device 22 continuously senses a parameter of the separator 10 and the second sensor device 24 continuously senses a parameter of the recirculation blower 8, wherein the control device 14 controls the opening and closing of the outlet valve 44 and/or the shut-off valve 26, in particular on the basis of the parameters sensed by the sensor devices 22, 24. The sensed parameters may be, for example, pressure, temperature, volume flow, different components of the gaseous medium, for example H 2、H2O、N2 and/or the concentration of dirt particles. The sensor devices 22, 24 can also be mounted directly on the conveyor assembly 3, for example. By means of a corresponding logic or calculation method stored on the control device 14, for example in the form of a CPU with a memory unit, the valves 26, 44 can be actuated and/or opened and/or closed accordingly on the basis of the sensed data, so that heavy components can be optimally discharged from the anode circuit 9 and/or the fuel cell system 1, wherein as large a quantity of light components H 2 as possible can be returned to the anode circuit 9.
Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-section of a separator 10 according to the invention. The separator 10 has a collection vessel 31, wherein the collection vessel 31 is connected to the anode circuit 9 of the fuel cell system 1 and/or to various components of the fuel cell system 1, for example the recirculation blower 8, by means of the return line 21 and/or the first connection line 23 and/or the second connection line 25. Furthermore, the collection vessel 31 has a discharge valve 44 and/or an outlet 32, by means of which heavy components, in particular H 2 O and/or N 2, are discharged into the environment or are led back into the cathode circuit of the fuel cell system 1. The outlet valve 44 and/or the outlet 32 are arranged in the collection vessel 31, for example, at a low geodetic height, in particular in order to guide and/or collect heavy components by gravity into this region of the collection vessel 31. In this case, all H 2 O and/or N 2 can be led out of the region of the anode circuit 9 via the outlet valve 44. The region of low geodetic height in the collection vessel 31 is referred to herein as the reservoir 18. On the side of the reservoir 18 facing away from the outlet valve 44, at least one wall is located above the reservoir 18, which serves as overflow protection for the reservoir 18. In contrast, the second connecting line 25 can be arranged here on the opposite side of the collecting vessel 31, for example at the height of the collecting vessel 31.
In addition, fig. 2 shows that the separating edge 37 is arranged in the collecting vessel 31 in such a way that the gaseous medium flowing in from the anode region 38 through the first connecting line (which is in particular the recirculation) is deflected and/or split in such a way that the light fraction H 2 is deflected in the direction of the second connecting line 25, while the heavy fraction H 2 O and/or N 2 is deflected in the direction of the reservoir 18. The effect of gravity on the gaseous medium is fully utilized here, by means of which the light fraction is deflected into the upper region of the separating edge 37, in particular on the side of the separating edge 37 facing the second connecting line 25, and the heavy fraction is deflected into the lower region of the separating edge 37, in particular on the side of the separating edge 37 facing the reservoir 18, due to its greater mass. The splitting of the light fraction and the heavy fraction is accelerated by the separating edge 37, since the fractions are deflected in the collecting vessel 31 in each case into the region of high or low ground level. Furthermore, it is shown that in an exemplary embodiment, the film chamber 33 is located in the collecting container 31 in the region of the high-altitude, in particular in the region of the fluid connection of the collecting container 31 to the second connecting line 25. In this case, the film chamber 33 has, in particular, a film insert 35. The membrane insert 35 is configured here as a semi-permeable membrane, wherein the light fraction H 2 of the medium can move through the membrane, while the fractions H 2 O and/or N 2 cannot move through the membrane, in particular due to the molecular size. The gaseous medium which is to be passed from the collecting container 31 into the second connecting line 25 must pass through the membrane chamber 33 and/or the membrane insert 35 and/or the membrane. Furthermore, the following advantages are obtained thanks to the configuration of the separator 10 according to the invention: the stratification of the components of the gaseous medium in the collection vessel 31 is achieved by the full use of gravity.
Furthermore, fig. 2 shows that the separator 10 has a first sensor device 22, wherein the first sensor device 22 continuously senses a parameter from the collection container 31, wherein the first sensor device 22 and/or the control device 14 evaluate and/or process the sensed data and/or evaluate in a computational manner by means of a CPU, and wherein the outlet valve 44 is actuated by means of the control device 14. In a further exemplary embodiment, the sensor device 22 can also sense the liquid level of the separator 10 in the region of the reservoir 18 and take these sensed data into account for evaluation, in particular by means of the CPU and/or the control device 14, such that, when a defined liquid level is exceeded and thus the reservoir 18 is emptied, for example, the outlet valve 44 is actuated. In this case, actuation of the outlet valve 44 by the control device 14 can take place mechanically and/or electrically and/or electronically and/or in other ways, wherein the outlet valve 44 can be completely and/or partially opened or closed. Furthermore, this actuation type is suitable for a shut-off valve 26, which is not shown in fig. 2, and the second sensor device 24 is actuated by the control device 14 in a similar and/or identical manner.
Fig. 3 shows a perspective sectional view of a conveyor assembly 3 with a recirculation blower 8, a jet pump 4 and a metering valve 6. In this case, it is shown that the conveyor assembly 3 has, in addition to the component injection pump 4, a recirculation blower 8 and a metering valve 6 as further components, wherein the flow contours of the components 4, 6, 8 for the gaseous medium and/or the components 4, 6, 8 are arranged at least almost completely in the common housing 7. In an exemplary embodiment, the housing can be embodied in two-part, three-part or multi-part fashion. In this case, the individual parts are in particular made of the same material and/or have at least approximately the same thermal expansion coefficient. The recirculating fan 8 has a drive 47, in particular an electric drive 47, which is connected by means of a drive shaft at least in a cardan manner to a compressor wheel 12 which is rotatable about a rotational axis 48. Once torque is transmitted from the drive 47 to the compressor wheel 12, the compressor wheel 12 is placed in rotational motion and the at least one conveying unit 20 moves through the compressor chamber 30 in the housing 7 in rotational motion about the rotational axis 48. In this case, in each case one delivery chamber 20 is arranged between two impeller blades 5 of the compressor wheel 12. The gaseous medium which is already in the compressor chamber 30 is carried along by the at least one delivery unit 20 and is delivered and/or compressed in this case. Furthermore, a movement, in particular a fluid exchange, of the gaseous medium takes place between the at least one transport unit 20 and the at least one side channel 19. In this case, it is decisive for the conveying function that a circulating flow can be produced in at least one side channel 19 during operation.
The metering valve 6 is supplied with a pressurized drive medium by means of the second inlet 36, which drive medium is supplied by means of the opening and closing of the metering valve 6 via the nozzle to the suction region 11 and meets there with the recirculation from the recirculation blower 8. In this case, the jet pump 4 has a suction region 11, a mixing tube 13 and a conically extending diffuser region 15, and an outlet bend 17 in a flow direction VIII, in particular along its longitudinal axis 50, wherein the outlet bend is connected to a third connecting line 27. Here, a so-called jet pump effect occurs in the jet pump 4. For this purpose, the gaseous drive medium, in particular H 2, flows from the outside, in particular from the tank 42, into the metering valve 6 via the second inlet 36. The drive medium is now introduced into the suction region 11 by means of the opening of the metering valve 6, in particular under high pressure. The gaseous driving medium flows in the direction of the flow direction VIII. The H 2 flowing from the second inlet 36 into the suction region 11 and serving as a driving medium has a pressure difference from the recirculation medium flowing from the first inlet 28 into the suction region 11, wherein the driving medium is in particular at a higher pressure of at least 10 bar. In order to generate the ejector pump effect, the recirculation medium with low pressure and low mass flow is fed into the suction region 11 of the ejector pump 4. In this case, the high-speed drive medium with the described pressure difference and in particular near the speed of sound flows through the metering valve 6 into the suction region 11. The drive medium acts on the recirculating medium which is already located in the suction zone 11. Internal friction and turbulence are created between the media due to the large velocity and/or pressure differential between the driving medium and the recirculating medium. In this case, shear stresses are generated in the boundary layer between the fast driving medium and the markedly slower recirculating medium. This stress causes a pulse transfer in which the recirculating medium is accelerated and carried. Mixing occurs according to the principle of conservation of momentum. In this case, the recirculation medium is accelerated in the flow direction VI and a pressure drop is also generated for the recirculation medium, as a result of which a suction effect occurs and thus additional recirculation medium is fed from the first inlet 28 and/or from the region of the recirculation blower. By varying and/or adjusting the opening duration and the opening frequency of the metering valve 6, the delivery rate of the recirculation medium can be adjusted and the corresponding requirements of the entire fuel cell system 11 can be adapted to the operating conditions and operating requirements.
In addition, fig. 3 shows that the components 4, 6, 8 of the conveyor assembly 3 are each arranged compactly relative to one another in the housing 7. The recirculation blower 8 and the jet pump 4 are arranged in the common housing 7 relative to one another in such a way that the axis of rotation 48 of the compressor wheel 12 of the recirculation blower 8 extends at least approximately perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 50 of the jet pump 4. In this way, on the one hand, the surface of the conveyor assembly 3 and/or the installation space required in the vehicle can be reduced. On the other hand, the throughflow profiles of the components 4, 6, 8 can be arranged in a space-saving manner relative to one another in such a way that, for example, the gas outlet opening 16 of the recirculation blower 8 can open almost directly into the suction region 11 and/or the first inlet 28 of the jet pump 4, in particular by means of a flow channel 41 with a bend 43 which is integrated in a flow-optimized manner, wherein the deflection and/or the flow guidance of the gaseous medium between the recirculation blower 8 and the jet pump 4 takes place only in the region of the bend 43. Therefore, at least little additional piping is required for connecting the components 4, 6, 8. Furthermore, the second sensor 24 and/or the low-pressure sensor 45 are arranged in the housing 7 in a space-saving and/or integrated manner, so that little installation space is required.
The drive 47, which is composed in particular of a thermally conductive material, can be heated in an advantageous manner, which is advantageous in particular during a cold start of the conveyor assembly 3 and/or of the vehicle. The drive 47 is heated and, for example, transfers thermal energy to the compressor wheel 12 and to other components of the conveyor assembly 3 and/or to the housing 7 due to its thermal conductivity. When the conveyor unit 3 and/or the vehicle is shut down, in particular over a longer period of time and/or at low ambient temperatures below freezing, the liquid freezes and forms ice bridges. These ice bridges may cause damage to the conveyor assembly 3 and/or the fuel cell system 1 during start-up and/or during operation. The ice bridge is melted by the heating drive 47 and the liquid changes from a solid state to a liquid state and can be discharged. The drive 47 is advantageously arranged in such a way that the introduction of heat into the housing 7 takes place as quickly and effectively as possible. The special shaping of the integrated housing and the use of composite materials for the housing can also lead to better thermal conductivity. Alternatively, in one exemplary embodiment, the heating or cooling of the integrated housing 7 may be applied using thermal effects from the fuel cell 2, in particular the fuel cell stack. Furthermore, the actuator of the metering valve 6 can serve as a heat source and act in an advantageous manner similarly to the drive 47.
Fig. 4 shows a part of the compressor chamber 30 of the recirculation blower 8 with the compressor wheel 12, which part is designated by II in fig. 3. The compressor wheel 12 has a circumferential outer limiting ring 39 which extends rotationally symmetrically to the axis of rotation 48 of the compressor wheel 12. In this case, on the side of the compressor wheel 12 facing away from the axis of rotation 48, the separating chamber 34 and/or the outlet channel 46, which is at least partially enclosed, in particular by the at least one side channel 19, is provided in the housing 7 of the recirculation blower and/or the conveyor assembly 3. Furthermore, the compressor wheel 12 is configured symmetrically with respect to an axis of symmetry 49, wherein the axis of symmetry 49 extends orthogonally to the axis of rotation 48. Furthermore, a profile of the taper (auslaufend) of the impeller blades 5 of the compressor wheel 12 is shown, wherein the profile converges in a further section along the symmetry axis 49.
In this case, a compressor wheel 12 is shown, which has at least one outer circumferential collar 29a, b in the region of an outer limiting ring 39. The outer collars 29a, b extend axially with respect to the axis of symmetry 49 and on the side of the outer limiting ring 39 facing away from the axis of rotation 48. In this case, at least one external collar 29a, b is located axially and/or radially with respect to the axis of symmetry 49 on the housing upper part 7 and/or the housing lower part 8 of the housing 3 at least approximately against and/or forms a small gap size with it, which is at least approximately not overcome by the gaseous medium. By virtue of the small gap dimensions that can be formed between the compressor wheel 12 with the at least one outer circumferential collar 29a, b and the housing 7, it is possible to achieve at least partial encapsulation of the at least one side channel 19 with the separation chamber 34.
Furthermore, fig. 4 shows that the separation chamber 34 is formed at least partially around the axis of rotation 48 between the housing 7 and the outer limiting ring 39. The heavy fraction is thus led out of the region of the at least one side channel 19 and the transport unit 20 and collected in the region of the separation chamber 34. These heavy components of the gaseous medium may be, for example, undesirable waste products and/or byproducts from the operation of the fuel cell system 1. The transport and compression of the transport unit 3 can be increased by removing the heavy components, since the proportion of H 2 required for the production of the gaseous medium to be transported, in particular for the current in the fuel cell 2, is increased in the transport unit 20 and in the at least one side channel 19. The efficiency of the conveyor assembly 3 can thus be increased, since heavy components which are not desirable for operation do not have to be conveyed together.
Fig. 5 shows a part of the separation chamber 34 indicated with III in fig. 4. In this case, it is shown that component H 2 O and/or component N 2 are separated from the gaseous medium in the recirculation blower 8, wherein the separation takes place in particular by means of the centrifugal principle in the recirculation blower 8. The separation chamber 34 is shown here as being at least indirectly in fluid connection with the return line 21 via the outlet channel 46, wherein the return line 21 fluidly connects the conveyor assembly 3 and/or the recirculation blower 8 at least indirectly with the collection container 31 of the separator 10. In this case, the separation chamber 34 and/or the outlet channel 46 can form an elevated pressure level with respect to the collection vessel 31 of the separator 10, and wherein H 2 O and/or N 2 are led out of the recirculation blower 8 into the separator 10 in the flow direction VI.
By configuring the separation chamber 34, the heavy components, in particular N 2 and/or H 2 O, can be removed from the gaseous medium and collected in the separation chamber 34. In this case, the rotation of the compressor wheel 12 during operation is advantageously used, because of the greater mass compared to the rest of the gaseous medium, in particular H 2, and the greater centrifugal force of the heavy fraction, so that the heavy fraction is moved away from the rotation axis 48 by the centrifugal force so strongly that it passes in the flow direction IX from at least one side channel 19 between the compressor wheel 12 and the housing 7, in particular in the region of small gap dimensions, into the separation chamber 34, wherein centrifugal force separation takes place. Advantageously, the additional discharge channel 46 is located at the geodetically deepest point of the separation chamber 34. Advantageously, the effect of gravity and/or centrifugal force on the heavy components of the gaseous medium collected in the separation chamber 34 is achieved here by automatic discharge through the discharge channel 46 into the return line 21 without having to take other measures, such as mechanical pumping. Furthermore, the effect of automatically discharging the heavy components outwardly through the discharge passage 46 is enhanced by: during operation of the recirculation blower 8, the heavy fraction continues to flow into the separation chamber 34 and the heavy fraction already located there is thereby pressed out via the discharge channel 46.
Furthermore, this provides the following advantages: the heavy fraction can be discharged from the conveyor unit 20 on the one hand from the region and/or the at least one side channel 19 and on the other hand from the region of the separation chamber 34 via the discharge channel 46 from the conveyor assembly 3. This prevents the risk of damaging the rotating components, in particular the compressor wheel 12 or the bearings, since residual heavy components, such as H 2 O, lead to ice bridge formation in the shut-down state of the fuel cell system 1 and at low ambient temperatures, which can damage these components when the recirculation blower 8 is started. This damage is prevented by deriving recombination via the discharge channel 46. Furthermore, the following advantages are achieved: by means of the removal of the heavy components, formation of so-called ice bridges between the movable parts (in particular the compressor wheel 12) and the housing 7 in the shut-down state of the fuel cell system 1 and when the ambient temperature is low is prevented.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and the aspects highlighted herein. Rather, a number of variants can be realised within the scope given by the claims, which variants are within the ability of a person skilled in the art.
Claims (20)
1. A conveyor unit (3) for an anode circuit (9) of a fuel cell system (1) for conveying gaseous medium from an anode region (38) of a fuel cell (2), wherein the conveyor unit (3) comprises at least one jet pump (4), wherein the conveyor unit (3) is at least indirectly fluidically connected to an outlet of the anode region (38) by means of at least one connecting line, and wherein the conveyor unit (3) is fluidically connected to an inlet of the anode region (38) by means of a further connecting line, wherein the conveyor unit (3) has, in addition to the component jet pump (4), a recirculation blower (8) and a metering valve (6) as further components, wherein the components are arranged at least almost entirely in a common housing (7) for the throughflow profile of the gaseous medium, wherein the recirculation blower (8) has a compressor wheel (12) with a circumferential outer limiting ring (39) which extends rotationally symmetrically with respect to a rotational axis (48) of the compressor wheel (12), at least partially enclosed separation chambers (34) and/or outlet channels (46) are located in the housing (7) of the conveyor assembly (3) on the side of the compressor wheel (12) facing away from the axis of rotation (48).
2. Conveyor unit (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that component H 2 O and/or component N 2 are separated from the gaseous medium in the recirculation blower (8).
3. Conveyor unit (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the recirculation blower (8) and the jet pump (4) are arranged in the common housing (7) relative to each other such that the rotational axis (48) of the compressor wheel (12) of the recirculation blower (8) extends at least approximately perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (50) of the jet pump (4).
4. Conveyor unit (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the gas outlet opening (16) of the recirculation blower (8) transitions directly into the first inlet (28) and/or suction area (11) of the jet pump (4) and forms an integrated flow channel (41).
5. Conveyor unit (3) according to claim 4, characterized in that the integrated flow channel (41) forms a bend (43) within the common housing (7), wherein the deflection and/or flow guidance of gaseous medium between the recirculation blower (8) and the jet pump (4) takes place only in the region of the bend (43).
6. Conveyor unit (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the gaseous medium is hydrogen.
7. Conveyor unit (3) according to claim 2, characterized in that the separation is performed in the recirculation blower (8) by means of centrifugal principle.
8. A fuel cell system (1) with a conveyor set (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for controlling the hydrogen supply and/or the hydrogen output of a fuel cell (2).
9. Fuel cell system (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the separation of component H 2 O and/or component N 2 from the gaseous medium in the anode circuit (9) is carried out by means of the recirculation blower (8) and/or by means of a separator (10).
10. Fuel cell system (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the separator (10) is arranged in the anode circuit (9) before the conveyor unit (3) in the flow direction V, wherein the anode region (38) is fluidly connected to the separator (10) by means of a first connecting line (23), and the separator (10) is fluidly connected to the conveyor unit (3) by means of a second connecting line (25), and the conveyor unit (3) is fluidly connected to the anode region (38) by means of a third connecting line (27).
11. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that H 2 O and/or N 2 are led out of the recirculation blower (8) into the separator (10) in the flow direction VI via a return line (21).
12. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that a separation chamber (34) and/or a discharge channel (46) is at least indirectly in fluid connection with a collecting vessel (31) of the separator (10) via the return line (21), which separation chamber and/or discharge channel, respectively, is located in a housing (7) of the conveyor train (3) on a side of the compressor wheel (12) facing away from the rotational axis (48) and is at least partially enclosed, wherein the separation chamber (34) and/or the discharge channel (46) form an elevated pressure level with respect to a collecting vessel (31) of the separator (10), and wherein H 2 O and N 2 are led from the recirculation blower (8) into the separator (10) in the flow direction VI.
13. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the collecting vessel (31) has a discharge valve (44), wherein the discharge valve (44) is arranged in the collecting vessel (31) at a geodetic height which is low in normal use, wherein all H 2 O and/or N 2 are led out from the region of the anode circuit (9) via the discharge valve (44).
14. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the second connecting line (25) is arranged over a large geodetic height in the collecting container (31).
15. Fuel cell system (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that a separating edge (37) is arranged in the collecting vessel (31) such that gaseous medium flowing in from the anode region (38) is deflected and/or split such that light fraction H 2 is diverted in the direction of the second connecting line (25) and heavy fraction H 2 O and/or N 2 is diverted in the direction of the reservoir (18).
16. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the return line (21) has a shut-off valve (26), wherein the shut-off valve (26) is located between the recirculation blower (8) and the separator (10).
17. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 16, wherein the shut-off valve (26) is located between the recirculation blower (8) and the collection container (31).
18. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the first sensor means (22) and/or the second sensor means (24) are connected to a control device (14), wherein a parameter sensed by the control device (14) controls the opening and closing of the discharge valve (44) and/or the shut-off valve (26).
19. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 18, wherein the first sensing means (22) continuously senses a parameter of the separator (10) and the second sensing means (24) continuously senses a parameter of the recirculation blower (8).
20. The fuel cell system (1) according to claim 18, wherein the control device (14) controls the opening and closing of the discharge valve (44) and/or the shut-off valve (26) based on parameters sensed by the sensing means (22, 24).
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE102019201170.5 | 2019-01-30 | ||
| DE102019201170.5A DE102019201170A1 (en) | 2019-01-30 | 2019-01-30 | Conveyor unit for an anode circuit of a fuel cell system for conveying a gaseous medium and fuel cell system |
| PCT/EP2020/050243 WO2020156763A1 (en) | 2019-01-30 | 2020-01-08 | Delivery unit for an anode circuit of a fuel cell system for delivering a gaseous medium, and fuel cell system |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN113366679A CN113366679A (en) | 2021-09-07 |
| CN113366679B true CN113366679B (en) | 2024-06-07 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202080011767.8A Active CN113366679B (en) | 2019-01-30 | 2020-01-08 | Conveyor unit for conveying gaseous medium of anode circuit of fuel cell system and fuel cell system |
Country Status (7)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US11894585B2 (en) |
| EP (1) | EP3918652A1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JP7360468B2 (en) |
| KR (1) | KR20210120043A (en) |
| CN (1) | CN113366679B (en) |
| DE (1) | DE102019201170A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2020156763A1 (en) |
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| CN114709446B (en) * | 2022-03-25 | 2023-12-19 | 东风汽车集团股份有限公司 | Cooling control method, device and cooling system for hydrogen fuel cell |
| CN114962355B (en) * | 2022-06-07 | 2023-11-28 | 沈海防爆科技有限公司 | Controlling a vacuum system comprising a vacuum generator device |
| DE102022208417A1 (en) * | 2022-08-12 | 2024-02-15 | Robert Bosch Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung | Fuel cell device for a vehicle and method for operating a fuel cell device for a vehicle |
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Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JP2022518278A (en) | 2022-03-14 |
| CN113366679A (en) | 2021-09-07 |
| WO2020156763A1 (en) | 2020-08-06 |
| US20220093943A1 (en) | 2022-03-24 |
| DE102019201170A1 (en) | 2020-07-30 |
| KR20210120043A (en) | 2021-10-06 |
| JP7360468B2 (en) | 2023-10-12 |
| US11894585B2 (en) | 2024-02-06 |
| EP3918652A1 (en) | 2021-12-08 |
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